The skinflint story

The first time our founders met, Chris tried to convince Sophie to sell him a set of opaline pendant lights she'd rescued for her house, from a condemned Victorian asylum (she said no).

Our story couldn’t have a more fitting prologue. Because here at skinflint, everything we do is built on a love of classic lighting and design.

Chris has worked with some of the best in the industry – from Isometrix Lighting and Design and iGuzzini UK, to famed architects Foster + Partners and designer Philippe Starck.

Sophie trained at Central Saint Martins before going on to work as an art director on pop videos, BAFTA-winning BBC dramas, and TV commercials for brands such as VW and Louboutin.

In 2007, while working as lighting design consultants, Sophie and Chris were commissioned on the refurbishment of a Victorian house in North London. The owners insisted that every light sourced for the project should be an original, reclaimed vintage fixture.

This led to an 18-month hunt that spanned the UK, finding the right pieces to complement the project’s architecture and design.

The seed was sown.

Fast-forward over a decade; skinflint is the UK’s leading vintage lighting website. Generally, you’ll find Chris and Sophie out scouring Britain and Europe for classic lights, and bringing them back to our studio: a converted Victorian warehouse by the river in Penryn, Cornwall.

Here, our team of experts and local specialists – all within 10km of our wharfside location – begin the process of researching, restoring and reassembling each light, ready to be sent around the world.